Board for a board game

ABSTRACT

A board for a board game is incised so that it may be expanded from underneath to form a three-dimensional structure. In a preferred form, four hinged flaps are provided which are arranged so that, on lifting two of the flaps, all the flaps swing to expand and support the structure, the flaps being adapted to interengage to lock the structure in its expanded condition. To collapse the structure, the other two flaps are lifted to release the interengagement and allow the parts to return to twodimensional form under gravity. In another form, the expanded board is supported on steps arranged at different levels on support members disposed in right-angular relationship and extending through slots in a base member.

[ BOARD FOR A BOARD GAME [76] Inventor: Peter .1. C. Quigley, 9 Milton Rd., Sussex, England [22] Filed: Apr. 15, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 134,305

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Denmark 273/134 G [4 1 May 7,1974

Primary ExaminerDelbert B. Lowe Attorney, Agent, or FirmFleit, Gipple & Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT A board for a board game is incised so that it may be expanded from underneath to form a threedimensional structure. In a preferred form, four hinged flaps are provided which are arranged so that, on lifting two of the flaps, all the flaps swing to expand and support the structure, the flaps being adapted to interengage to lock the structure in its expanded condition. To collapse the structure, the other two flaps are lifted to release the interengagement and allow the parts to return to two-dimensional form under gravity. In another form, the expanded board is supported on steps arranged at different levels on support members disposed in right-angular relationship and extending through slots in a base member.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures SHEET 1 OF 3 PATENTEDMAY 11am 3;809',401

PATENTEMY 7 I874 SHEET 3 [IF 3 1 BOARD FOR A BOARD GAME This invention relates to a board for a board game.

According to the invention there is provided a board for a board game provided with an incision or incisions so as to enable it to be expanded to three-dimensional form and means for supporting the board in this form.

The invention also extends to board games comprising such a board.

The boardis preferably collapsible from its threedimensional form so that it may be stored flat.

The board may be of unitary construction, comprising a single sheet of material having incisions so that a part or parts of it may be raised from the original plane of the board.

The means for supporting the board in an expanded form may comprise a component or components separate from the board or may be built into the board.

The board may be'composite and comprise two laminates or layers. These may comprise an uppermost layer which is an incised layer and at least one other layer or laminate-through which the means for supporting the board may pass or upon which such means may be supported or with which such means may be integral. Means may also be provided to limit the distance from the original plane of the board so as to avoid damage to the board through careless handling.

Two embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the board according to one embodiment of the invention before being expanded to three-dimensional form; .7

FIG. 2 is an underside view of the board shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows side elevations of two supporting members for the board shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the board shown in FIG. 1 when expanded to three-dimensional form; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second, preferred embodiment of the invention.

The embodiment of the invention which will now be described expands to form a ziggurat-Iike threedimensional structure and comprises a board generally indicated at 1 having a base layer or laminate 2. The board 1 comprises an incised layer having a track 12 drawn thereon which is delimited by incisions shown by the thick line 3 in FIG. 1 so that the track 12 may be expanded from underneath to assume a threedimensional form. Means for supporting the board in this form comprise two laminar supporting members 6 and 7, shown in FIG. 3, which have co-operating slots 8 and 9 to enable them to pass over each other and then be passed through the slots 4 and 5 in the base layer so that steps 10 and 11 on the upper edges of the supporting members 6 and 7 engage underneath the track and raise it according to the height of the steps 10 and 11 so that a three-dimensional structure as shown in FIG. 4 is formed when the expanded structure is stood on a substantially level surface. The steps 10 and 111 are so graduated that the track 12 assumes a desired slope or slopes. The length of the supporting members 6 and 7 and the positions of the slots 8 and 9 combined with the length and positions of the slots 4 and 5 in the base layer 2 ensure that the supporting members 6 and 7 assume their correct positions. In the embodiment shown the track 12 is only attached to the board 1 at the point 13, the track forming a spiral the center of which will form the highest point 14 of the expanded structure.

In order to prevent the track 12 from tearing away from the board 1 when the board is turned upside down without the track 12 being supported, restraining tapes, not shown, may be provided between the track 12 and the base layer 2 at such points where they will not foul the supporting members 6 and 7. Alternatively, a fly sheet may be attached to one edge of the board and folded across the board, the fly sheet being folded over clear of the track when it is desired to use the board. Any instructions concerning the playing of a game on the board and/or an extension of the track may be printed upon the fly sheet.

Instead of the expanded structure shown, a round spiral or helter skelter shape may be provided or the outside of the track may be lifted a higher amount than the inside of the track. The board may have more than one track and correspondingly shaped supporting members. Further supporting members may be provided or supporting members of block like construction maybe provided instead of the laminar members described.

In a further embodiment, not shown, the base layer does not have slots for receiving the supporting members but a supporting member or members are hingedly fixed between a laminate below the incised layer and the incised layer so that the board may be erected by turning it upside down, and, as the track separates from the board, easing the supporting member or members into position. The board is then turned up the right way for playing, and is dismantled by displacing the supportingmember or members through one of the gaps formed between the parts of the expanded track.

An example of a game to be played on the board shown will now be described.

The board is expanded as previously described and, as will be seen from FIG. 1, the track is graduated and has a number of paths 15 drawn upon it. The game can be played by up to 6 players, each player having a playing piece of a different colour. The players arrange the order of play between themselves, for example by throw of a die or dice or, if a game has been played before, according to merit. Each player throws the die or dice and moves his playing piece along the paths on the track by a number of graduations according to the number scored on the die or dice, starting on the graduation adjacent the joint 13 which has an arrow 16 thereon. If at the end of a move a playing piece lands on a graduation marked with hindrances or bonuses, which in this embodiment is where one of the paths 15 turns off of the track, then the playing piece is moved to, the graduation below if the path moves off away from the center of the expanded structure, or to the graduation if the path turns off towards the center of the expanded structure. The winner is the player whose playing piece first arrives at the end of the track on the highest point 14 of the expanded structure. In order to do this the exact number must be thrown on the die or dice for the playing piece to arrive on the said highest point 14. If an excess number is thrown on the die or dice then the playing piece is moved to the highest point and then back a number of graduations to complete the throw.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5, means for supporting and locking the expanded board are made integral with a composite base. The base comprises an upper laminate 20 and a lower laminate 21 which are of stout cardboard. Instead of the supporting members 6 and 7 described in connection with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, there are provided flaps 22, 23, 24, 25. Flaps 22 and 23 are cut from the upper laminate 20 so that they remain attached along one side and are scored along that side to enable them to hinge and so be raised to the positions shown. Flaps 24 and 25 are similarly constructed with respect to the laminate 21. The unwanted portion in the middle of each laminate which would hinder the raising from below of any of the flaps is cut out. Where a higher expanded structure is required than would be possible to make by cutting the flaps from two such laminates, separate laminates have to be provided for forming each flap. In order that the flaps remain in the expanded position shown, tags 27 are provided on each end of the flaps 24 and 25 to engage in slots 28 cut in flaps 22 and 23. Steps 29 are provided on the flaps to support a track similar to that described in connection with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. As before, the steps are so arranged that the track, which has been omitted'from FIG. for the sake of clarity, assumes a desired slope or slopes. As well as the steps 29 supporting the track, the upper edges of the flaps also serve to support the track.

With the board in its unexpanded condition, that is to say with flaps 22, 23, 24, 25 lying in the planes'of their respective laminates and 21, the board is a flat. On pushing flaps 24 and upwards from underneath the board, which is readily done with the fingers while the underside of the board is supported in the palms of the both hands, flaps 22 and 23 which lie above the I flaps 24 and 25 will be forced upwards until tags 27 of the .flaps 24 and 25 slip over the top of the flaps 22 and 23 to allow the flaps 22 and 23 to fall back a short distance so that slots 28 in flaps 22 and 23 are engaged by the tags 27 and the structure remains expanded. As the flaps 24 and 25 are raised so the track (not shown) is raised on the steps 29 and the upper edges of the flaps to form a ziggurat-like three-dimensional structure. To lower the board so that it again becomes a flat article for storage or transit purposes, all that it is necessary to do is to gently raise flaps 22 and 23 with the fingers from underneath the expanded board. This causes slots 28 to slide from underneath tags 27 and so release tags 27 enabling flaps 24 and 25 to drop down inside of flaps 22 and 23, which can then be released to allow the track to collapse.

Instead of using a track similar to that shown in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, a different track may be used and the flaps so arranged that the highest point of the track may be offset to one side of the board instead of centrally disposed with respect to the board.

In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the highest portion of the track (not shown) is supported by a portion 31 of the flap 24 and the track projects at its highest level a short distance over the central hole in the board, the remainder of the track lying outside of the flaps 22, 23, 24,25. A separate structure may be put inside these flaps. For instance the structure may be in the form of a model of a dragons head. The dragons head gives the expanded board a tidier appearance by hiding the otherwise unsightly central hole. The dragon 5 head can be supported by the flaps and/or the marginal part of an adjacent part of the track or may simply be of such a height that it may be stood inside the central hole on whatever surface the board is standing on and project above the level of the board. The dragon's head may have an opening mouth so that playing pieces reaching the end of the track adjacent the dragon's head are swallowed by the dragon, adding an additional source of amusement to a game to be played on the board. A preferred game for playing on such a board is given below.

The board is assembled as set out above and the model dragon stood inside the flaps 22, 23, 24, 25 as indicated above. The players, of which there should be at least two, select playing pieces which may be in the form of models, for instance, of animals which might prove appetizing to a dragon. They decide, for instance by throw of a die or dice, the order in which they will play. The player who starts designates which of the other players playing pieces should be moved and then throws the die or dice to determine how far that piece should be moved. The next player likewise designates which players playing piece should be moved before throwing the die or dice, and so on. A player may not designate that his own playing piece be moved. Instead of having a border around the board and the track starting to climb immediately from its start as in the embodiment described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 4, the track of this preferred embodiment is extended by a part drawn around the bottom of the expanded structure at the level of the composite base. As before, the track is graduated and is marked with hindrances and bonuses. For instance, if a playing piece lands on a graduation so marked, it may be instructed to move onto an upper portion or lower portion of the track, or to go back or forth so many graduations or may be instructed to remain on that graduation for so many throws of the die or dice. The object of the game, as will be apparent from the rule that each player moves another players playing piece and not his own at each throw of the die or dice, is to get the other players playing pieces to the end of the track so that they are swallowed" by the dragon whose openable mouth is waiting at the uppermost end of the track. The winner is the player whose playing piece remains on the board the longest.

In another embodiment of the invention, not shown, a similar arrangement is used to that shown in FIG. 5

except that instead of each flap being provided with atag or a slot, only one of the flaps is provided with a tag and a flap adjacent thereto provided with a slot, the other flaps being so arranged that, when the board is expanded, they rest against these two interconnected flaps so that the board remains expanded. It is envisaged that, in either this embodiment or that described in connection with FIG. 5, the flaps need not be sloped as shown in FIG. 5, but one or more of them may be arranged to stand substantially vertically from the base board. It will be apparent from the foregoing description that only two flaps which interengage with each other when they are hinged towards an incised layer are necessary to support such a layer. These flaps need not be hinged at right angles to each other as are the flaps which engage each other shown in FIG. 5. One or more additional flaps may be provided, as shown in FIG. 5, where the incised layer is of such a shape that they are considered necessary, or, particularly with a childrens game, to make the board rigid enough to withstand some mishandling.

It is further envisaged to use a board constructed as described in any of the aforementioned embodiments for games such as'snakes and ladders, obstacle race games and other known games which are usually played with the assistance of a two-dimensional board and which may be made more interesting by the addition of a third dimension.

1 claim:

1. A board game comprising a playing board and playing pieces that are moved on the board by a number of graduations as determined by chance, the playing board comprising an upper sheet connected in superposed relationship to a base sheet, said upper sheet being incised to define an expansible track, one end of which remains in one piece with the upper sheet at a level where it is connected to the base sheet, with the remainder being adapted to be manually elevated to a level spaced from the base sheet to provide a threedimensional path for the movement of said playing pieces therealong, the path being marked with said graduations.

2. A board game according to claim ll, wherein the board is provided with manually-operable supporting means effective releasably to engage beneath the track for supporting the track at said elevated level.

3. A board game according to claim 2, wherein said supporting means comprise hinged flaps formed from the base sheet.

4. A board game according to claim 3, wherein said flaps are provided with steps for engaging and supporting the expanded track at intervals along its length.

5. A board game according to claim 3, wherein the base sheet is composite and comprises two laminates, each laminate being formed with two of the said flaps which can be hinged towards the incised upper layer to upstand from the laminates so as to expand the track and are shaped to releasably engage each other when the track is at said elevated level.

6. A composite laminate board-for a board game comprising a base layer and at least an incised layer forming a playing surface positioned above said base layer, said incised layer being adapted to be expanded to a three-dimensional form and integral support means for supporting the incised layer in this form, said support means comprising at least one flap carried by a laminate positioned below the incised layer. 

1. A board game comprising a playing board and playing pieces that are moved on the board by a number of graduations as determined by chance, the playing board comprising an upper sheet connected in superposed relationship to a base sheet, said upper sheet being incised to define an expansible track, one end of which remains in one piece with the upper sheet at a level where it is connected to the base sheet, with the remainder being adapted to be manually elevated to a level spaced from the base sheet to provide a three-dimensional path for the movement of said playing pieces therealong, the path being marked with sAid graduations.
 2. A board game according to claim 1, wherein the board is provided with manually-operable supporting means effective releasably to engage beneath the track for supporting the track at said elevated level.
 3. A board game according to claim 2, wherein said supporting means comprise hinged flaps formed from the base sheet.
 4. A board game according to claim 3, wherein said flaps are provided with steps for engaging and supporting the expanded track at intervals along its length.
 5. A board game according to claim 3, wherein the base sheet is composite and comprises two laminates, each laminate being formed with two of the said flaps which can be hinged towards the incised upper layer to upstand from the laminates so as to expand the track and are shaped to releasably engage each other when the track is at said elevated level.
 6. A composite laminate board for a board game comprising a base layer and at least an incised layer forming a playing surface positioned above said base layer, said incised layer being adapted to be expanded to a three-dimensional form and integral support means for supporting the incised layer in this form, said support means comprising at least one flap carried by a laminate positioned below the incised layer. 